Method of fastening parts by selfpiercing means



Oct. 18, 1938. w. H H H L 2,133,916

METHOD OF FASTENING PARTS BY SELF PIERCING MEANS Filed 001.. 24, 1956 any.

Patented Oct. 18, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF FASTENING PARTS BY SELF- PIERCING MEANS Application October 24, 1936, Serial No. 107,415

6 Claims.

My invention relates to an improved method of fastening two pieces of material together by the use of a self-piercing means and to a fastener member used in the fastening process.

Reference is hereby made to my divisional application Serial No. 208,040, filed May 14, 1938, which relates to the metal piercing fastener members per se.

In the drawing, which illustrates a preferred form of my invention:

Figure 1 is a-plan View showing a strip of material secured to a supporting part, such as a piece of metal tubing, by means of my improved fastener member;

Fig. 2 is a section showing the sheet material and metal tubing in superposed relation and a punch, shown in elevation carrying a fastener member, in the act of piercing the superposed parts;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to that of Fig. 2 showing the strip of material and metal tubing in final attachment by means of my improved fastener member;

Fig. 4 is a section taken along the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the punch shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the punch shown in Fig. 2 with the punch turned 90;

Fig. 7 is a front view of my improved fastener member per se;

Fig. 8 is a side view of the fastener member shown in Fig. '7;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the fastener member shown in Fig.8;

Fig. 10 is a bottom plan view of the fastener member shown in Figs. 7 and 9; and

Fig. 11 is a view similar to that of Fig. 3 showing a modified form of fastener member.

In my preferred form of installation, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, I have shown a strip I preferably formed of cardboard or similar material secured to a supporing piece 2, which may be a metal tubing or other metal piece as shown in the-figures, by means of my improved fastener member 3. The tubing 2 may be used in the framework of an automobile seat and the strip I a part of an upholstery panel secured to the tubing 2 for trimming or decorating purposes. Although I have chosen the strip I and tubing 2 for the purpose of illustrating my invention, it is understood that I do not wish to be limited by the same because other materials could be fastened together through the method hereinafter described. A punch 4 (Fig. 2), which may be atand outwardly-extending arms tached to any suitable machine (not shown), is adapted to come down upon the superposed parts I and 2 and pierce the same. The fastener 3, preferably in initial assembly with the punch 4, is provided with spaced pairs of spring arms having shoulder means constructedto pass through the materials of parts I and 2 during downward movement of the punch. The shoulder means are adapted to contract during passage through the parts I and 2 and then spring outwardly to engage the material of the tubing 2 adjacent the aperture 3 formed in the same during the piercing process with the result that the parts I and 2 are held between the shoulders and the base of the fastener, as most clearly shown in Fig. 3.

Referring in more detail to the fastener member used in my improved method, I have illustrated in Figs. 7-10 a preferred construction of my fastener having a base 5, which may be of square or rectangular shape, provided with an aperture 6 substantially in the center thereof. The base 5 has pairs of inwardly-bent portions I1 and 8-8 at opposite ends of the base with the portions of each pair extending from opposite edges thereof toward thecenter so that the inner ends of each pair are in opposed relationship (Fig. 10). Outwardly-extending arms 99 project from the inner ends of the portions I--'l I0I0 project from the inner ends of the portions 8-8. The pairs of arms 9--9 and I0--I0 are spaced laterally one from another. The portions '|-l and 88 are preferably spaced from the base portion 5 so that they may have a twisting or torsional action when the pairs of projecting arms 9-9 and I0I0 are moved inwardly toward one another during contraction of the arms.

Each of the pairs of outwardly-extending arms 9-9 and I0I0 have opposed inner surfaces in substantially adjacent relation one to another, as most clearly illustrated in Figs. 8-10. Also, the pairs of arms 9-9 and I0l0 are preferably in direct alignment one with anotherand adapted to move inwardly toward each other. The outer edges of the arms 9-9 and IO-I0 are shaped to provide a neck II which may be of any desired length, a relatively rounded shoulder portion I2 and a tapering camming surface I3 located on the opposite side of the shoulder I2 from the neck II. The camming surface I3, in my preferred form, tapers to a relatively sharp point I4 at its free end, as most clearly shown in Fig. 7. It will be noticed that the outer edges of the pairs of arms 99 and I0I0 lie in even the same.

relationship as shown in Figs. '1 and 10. Although I have described my preferred form of fastener member as having spaced pairs of projecting arms with the'arms of each pair in sideby-side relation, I do not wish to be limited to that particular construction because a satisfactory, if less strong, fastener member has been provided in which inwardly-bent portions extend from one edge only of the base 5 so that single projecting arms only are arranged in spaced aligned relation for a scissors-like action.

The modified form of my fastener invention illustrated in Fig. 11 differs from the preferred form of fastener member shown in Figs. 7-10 by reason of the fact that relatively sharp shoulders I5I5 are substituted for the less abrupt shoulders I2--I2 of my preferred form. The sharp shoulders I5-I5 are more difiieult to free from the part with which they are engaged than the more rounded shoulders and hence are more useful in certain installations, particularly in installations having parts not intended to be separated after they have once been secured together.

The punch 4, as most clearly illustrated in Figs. 2, 5 and 6, has a body portion I6 and a relatively slender piercing pin I! at one end terminating, in my preferred form, in a four-sided taper I8. Slots I9 are longitudinally disposed along opposite sides of the pin I'I (Figs. 5 and 6) havinga width greater than the thickness of each pair of adjacent arms 9-9 and III-I0 and a depth substantially equal, in my preferred form, to the length of that portion of the shoulders overlying the inner surface of the tubing 2 when the shoulders are in final engagement with The slots I9 in my preferred form extend slightly into the faces of the taper I8, as most clearly shown in Fig. 6.

In operating my device to secure the imperiorate strip l to the imperforate tubing 2, the strip may be placed in superposed relation with the tubing 2 with its inner face adjacent the material of the tubing as shown in Fig. 2. The fastener member 3 is then assembled with the punch 4 by aligning the pin H with the aperture 6 and then slipping the base 5 over the pin Il until the base lies substantially adjacent the body portion I I. Some form of registering means (not shown) may be provided as a part of the body portion I6 of the punch for the purpose of quick and accurate registering of the fastener base with the tool base. The fastener member is held in temporary fixed position with the tool in my preferred form through friction between parts of the fastener and the pin I1. When the fastener is in complete assembly with the tool, the pairs of arms 99 and I0I0 align with respective slots I9 of the pin II, but with the inner edges of the pairs of arms 9-9 and IflI0 spaced slightly from the bottom surface of the respective slots I9.

As the punch is brought down upon the super- I posed parts I and 2, the taper I8 at the free end of the pin I I penetrates the parts I and 2 as shown in Fig. 2. As the taper I8 continues through the parts, the camming surfaces I3 of the fastener arms engage the material adjacent the apertures formed by the piercing action of the taper I9 and cut through, the material thereby enabling the shoulders I5 to pass entirely through the parts. As the camming surfaces I3 engage the material of the parts I and 2, the arms 99 and III-I0 are forced inwardly into the slots I9, in which position they are held until the shoulders I2 have passed through theparts, at which time the torsion set up in the inwardly-bent portions 1-! and 88 causes the shoulders to spring outwardly for engagement with the material of the part 2 adjacent the aperture 3* (Figs. 3 and 11). As the shoulders I2 spring outwardly into engaging position, the punch 4 moves upwardly into normal position enabling another fastener to be assembled with the same for repeating the fastening action. The parts I and 2 are now firmly held between the shoulders I2 and the base 5 of the fastener member. I

Any number of fasteners may be applied to the parts for holding the same together and it is important to note that with my preferred Installation the fasteners have greater holding powers if applied with the arms placed at right angles to the length of the tube. It is also possible by my device to fasten articles having greater thicknesses than those illustrated in the preferred form of my invention by increasing the length of the piercing pin and providing a fastener member having a greater relative distance between the shoulders of the arms and the base. In production assembly a form of automatic feed (not shown) might be utilized so that the pin I1 would pick up each fastener member during downward movement of the punch for carrying the fastener through the parts to be secured together. Further, it might be necessary to equip the punch press with strippers (not shown) to pull the fastener off the punch after attachment.

As a result of my invention I have provided an easily operated means for securing pieces of material together, which are imperforate before they are subjected to action of the piercing pin, by use of a strong and durable fastening means which is of comparatively simple and inexpensive construction.

Although I have illustrated a preferred form of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereby because the scope of my invention is best set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A method of fastening superposed pieces of material together by a fastener having a base and shouldered spring arms extending from said base, which comprises coming down upon said base with a suitable tool to force said shoulders through said pieces whereby said shoulders lie adjacent a surface of one of said pieces to hold said pieces.

2. The method of fastening superposed pieces of material together by a fastener having a base and shouldered spring arms extending from said base, which comprises piercing the materials of said pieces with a suitable tool, and in the same operation passing the shoulders of said fastener through said pieces to hold said pieces between the shoulders and the base of said fastener.

3. The method of fastening a strip of material to a metal tubing by a fastener having a base and shouldered spring arms extending from said base in spaced relation one to another, which comprises cutting an aperture in each of said parts with a suitable tool, and in the same operation passing the shoulders of said fastener through the material of said parts adjacent said apertures whereby said parts are held between the shoulders and the base of said fastener.

4. The method of fastening superposed pieces of material together by a fastener having a base and spring arms extending from the base in having a piercing portion at the free end and a shoulder intermediate said piercing portion and the base'of said fastener which comprises cutting an aperture in each of said pieces with a suitable tool, and in the same operation passing said piercing portions through the material of said pieces adjacent said apertures until said shoulders have passed through said pieces to hold said pieces between the shoulders and the base of said fastener.

5. The method of fastening superposed pieces of material together by a fastener member having a base and shouldered spring arms extending from said base, which comprises assembling said fastener member with a punch having a piercing pin provided with longitudinal slots on opposite sides of the same in such a way that said arms are in alignment with said slots, cutting an aperture in each of said pieces by means of said pin, and in the same operation passing the shoulders of said fastener through the material of said pieces adjacent said apertures whereby said pieces are held between the shoulders and the base of said fastener.

6. The method of fastening a strip of material to a metal tubing by a fastener member having a base and pairs of shouldered spring arms extending from said base in spaced relation one to another, which comprises assembling said fastener member with a punch having a piercing pin provided with longitudinal slots on opposite sides of the same in such a way that each of said pairs of arms is in alignment with one of said slots, cutting anaperture in said strip and said tubing by means of said pin, and in the same operation passing the shoulders of said fastener through the material of said parts adjacent said apertures, said arms contracting into the slots of said pin during passage through said parts and expanding after passing through said parts to hold the same between the shoulders and the base of said fastener.

WILMER H. CHURCHILL. 

